I feel like I’m supposed to like this album a lot more than I do. There’s been a TON of promotion and build up around REMAIN DYSTOPIAN, and given my inclination towards even mediocre grindcore, you’d think this’d be a no brainer, right? But man, I’ve listened to this album numerous times (it’s only 27 minutes), and I still can’t tell you anything that sticks out about any single particular tune. That’s a problem.

I mean, it’s got its charm. The riffs opt for more hi-speed jangly, discordant Voivod-ism’s over more traditional heavier guitar tones, and it’s a unique dynamic across the first couple of songs. That is until it becomes clear that the songs are less “songs” than they are a random collection of jangly, discordant Voivod-ism’s with screaming on top of it. It’s like 17 hyper speed supercuts of traffic collisions and industrial accidents pressed onto a CD. Which is all well and good, I suppose, but it’s tough to connect with an album when there’s not much to connect with other than a random collection of jangly, discordant Voivod-ism’s with screaming on top of it. J.R. Hayes (Pig Destroyer) and Tomas Lindberg (At the Gates) both make guest appearances on the album, but if I hadn’t read that in the press sheet, I never would’ve known. Not one, but two wasted opportunities.

Maruta even hails from my home state of Florida, but we’re also home to Limp Bizkit, so I guess that’s not a compelling argument either. If all you’re after is a temporary distraction in between episodes of Family Guy, REMAIN DYSTOPIAN might fit the bill. But there are better ways to spend that time, and your money.